Charm bracelets have always held a certain, er, charm, for me. I love the idea of monumenting a life though jewelry in such a literal way.
Two things I will not discuss in this post:
1. Mariah Carey's album Charmbracelet
2. Those (and I'm sorry if I am offending anyone here) AWFUL Italian charm bracelet with the the cheesy flat links.
Over the years, these bracelets have had starring roles in many jewelry trends. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion among the European noble classes. Later on, soldiers returning home after World War II brought home trinkets made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting to give to loved ones. American teenagers in the 1950s and early 1960s collected charms to record the events in their lives.
I'm not sure why these fell so far out of mainstream fashion; the bracelets are such a unique and expressive type of jewelry--of which there is not nearly enough out there.
Here's what I would put on mine:
Cable Link "Kate" 14k Gold Bracelet, $395
Love is Blind 14k Gold Charm, $90
Gamble and Weep 14k Gold Charm, $140
Fortune Cookie 14k Gold Charm, $200
Hour Glass with White Sand 14k Gold Charm, $275
Lovebirds 14k Gold Charm, $120
A charm bracelet is also a great gift; you'll never be stumped for a present after you give the starter chain. C.H.A.R.M, the site where all the above charms were sold, has a lot of wonderful new and vintage charms. It's a little expensive, but charm bracelets are traditionally known as investment pieces. Hopefully the wearer will hold on to it for a long time.
Some pre-made vintage versions:
German Glass Bracelet, $65 (1950's)
Napier Lucite "Moonglow" Fruit Bracelet
Souvenir NY Necklace, composed of vintage charms
And an interesting modern version:
9 comments:
I hate those too. Here seems everybody has one... The love birds are lovely;)!
I like your personal choices...always enjoy those little hourglasses. Any additional info you'd like to share about the gambling one?
beautiful charms! Ugh - I totally remember when those Italian charm bracelets were all the rage! Hope you had a great Turkey day!
I love charm bracelets, but you know what I love more? That Lucksmiths song! I'm so glad you thought of it!
Those charm bracelets are really love, though I wonder what the noise factor is with them. My mother has a great one from when she was a girl, but I'm not allowed to borrow. For some strange reason I have a reputation for not returning things in a timely manner...
I now officially want a charm bracelet.
Wendy: I like to live dangerously...
Thanks, everyone!
Clothes Horse: Isn't that funny? I have a similar reputation. No clue why!
love charms! lol the neurotransmitter one sounds neurotic. lol
My aunt loves those link style charm bracelets, but I definitely prefer the kind with real charms. Plus the links are soooo overpriced!
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